Mile-a-minute weed, a highly invasive vine that can smother trees and vegetation, has been confirmed in Jackson County following a landowner’s report to the Michigan Invasive Species Program through the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network’s online reporting system.

After consultation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department captured and relocated an adult, female grizzly bear July 17.

The grizzly bear was captured for cattle depredation on public land in Sublette County. In cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Shoshone National Forest, the grizzly bear was relocated to the Five Mile Creek drainage approximately 5 miles from the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park.

Grizzly bears are relocated in accordance with state and federal law and regulation, and Game and Fish is required to update the public whenever a grizzly bear is relocated.

WHY RELOCATION?

Grizzly bear relocation is a management tool large carnivore biologists use to minimize conflicts between humans and grizzly bears. Bears that are considered a threat to human safety are not relocated. In some cases, a bear may be removed from the population if it cannot be relocated successfully.

Capture is necessary when other deterrents or preventative options are exhausted or unattainable. Once the animal is captured, all circumstances are taken into account when determining if the individual should be relocated. If relocation is warranted, a site is determined by considering the age, sex and type of conflict the bear was involved in as well as potential human activity nearby.

Grizzly bears are only relocated into the recovery zone or adjacent areas. With any relocation, Game and Fish consults with appropriate agencies to minimize the chance of future conflicts and maximize the relocated grizzly bear’s survival.

HOW THE PUBLIC CAN HELP

Game and Fish continues to stress the importance of the public’s responsibility in bear management and the importance of keeping all attractants such as food, garbage, horse feed and bird seed unavailable to bears. Reducing attractants available to bears reduces human-bear conflicts, and in some cases, relocations.

For more information on grizzly bear management and reducing the potential for conflicts, visit the Bear Wise Wyoming webpage.

Idaho Fish and Game euthanized a food?conditioned black bear after it broke into a Swan Valley home and received multiple human-food rewards.

On the night of July 12, a male black bear entered an occupied residence by tearing through a window screen while the homeowners inside slept. Upon gaining entry, the bear ransacked the kitchen and ate a pumpkin pie from the table. Fortunately, in this instance, the residents were unharmed and only became aware of the break?in when they discovered the damage the following morning.

The bear also returned to the property the following night, where it knocked over a garbage can and again obtained a food reward from the unsecured household garbage.

Based on the bear’s entry into a human?occupied structure, Idaho Fish and Game personnel set a trap to capture the offending bear. The capture effort was successful, and the bear was humanely dispatched in accordance with agency policy for bears that pose a clear risk to human safety. Read more

New Custom Content Promises Gear Insights To Go Farther, Climb Higher and Explore More

Head for the backcountry with Outdoor Sportsman Group’s all-new “Hiking Guide” video series presented by Streamlight, and in cooperation with the GAME & FISH brand. Available now to watch exclusively on GAME & FISH, the GAME & FISH TV FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) channel, and streaming on MyOutdoorTV, this 3-part, long-form video series with accompanying multimedia content gives viewers an in-depth look at the skills and gear they need to make the most of their time on the trail, whether they’re circling the camping ground’s lake, traversing the Continental Divide, or striking out cross-country in search of the next breathtaking vista. Read more

PERC and RMEF proudly support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s rescission of the Endangered Species Act’s ‘blanket’ 4(d) rule

A policy recommendation long championed by the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) was officially implemented by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. USFWS has rescinded the use of the blanket 4(d) rule under the Endangered Species Act, a critical step toward more effective, incentive-driven species recovery.

“For too long, the blanket rule treated threatened species the same as endangered ones, dulling incentives for recovery,” said Jonathan Wood, PERC vice president of law and policy. “By restoring a tailored approach, the Service can better reward progress and encourage proactive conservation.”

PERC and RMEF have long argued that recovering species requires stronger incentives for habitat restoration and stewardship. Under a one-size-fits-all framework, states and landowners—whom these imperiled species rely on—have little reason to invest in improvements if regulatory burdens remain the same regardless of a species’ status.

The two organizations filed a joint lawsuit in 2024 against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, arguing the agency’s use of the blanket rule impaired species recovery and ignored science. Additionally, they filed a public comment in 2025 supporting the proposed rescission of the blanket rule.

A more flexible approach allows for a “roadmap to recovery,” where incremental progress is met with regulatory relief. This structure empowers local partners, rewards conservation success, and ultimately accelerates species recovery.

“Smart policy should recognize improvement,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer. “Aligning regulations with a species’ status is a commonsense way to motivate the very actions that lead to recovery.” Read more

As part of ongoing efforts required under the Endangered Species Act to monitor the population of grizzly bears in the Yellowstone Ecosystem, the U.S. Geological Survey, in conjunction with Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, is working to inform the public that pre-baiting and scientific capture operations are once again about to begin within the Madison Range on private lands only, south of Highway 84, west of Highway 191, and north of Highway 287, in Montana. Biologists with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) will begin the field captures July 20 and continue through August 28. Capture operations can include a variety of activities, but all areas where work is being conducted will have major access points marked with warning signs. It is critical that all members of the public heed these signs.

Research and monitoring of the grizzly bear population is vital to ongoing recovery and management of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. In order to attract bears, biologists use natural food sources such as recently road-killed deer and elk. Potential capture sites are baited with these natural foods and if indications are that grizzly bears are in the area, culvert traps or foot snares are used to capture bears. Once captured, bears are handled in accordance with strict safety and animal care protocols developed by the IGBST and approved by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Whenever bear capture activities are being conducted for scientific purposes, the area around the site will be posted with bright warning signs to inform the public of the activities occurring. Read more

Safari Club International (SCI) commends the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for announcing a new rule that gives Western states greater authority to manage expanding grizzly bear populations while maintaining the species’ long-term conservation success. While the rule does not yet allow for regulated hunting to fully manage expanding bear populations, it represents an important first step for proper administration of the Endangered Species Act.

The new rule relies on Section 4(d) of the ESA, which authorizes the Service to adopt regulations that are “necessary and advisable” for the conservation of threatened-listed species, including grizzly bears. Historically, the Service has used this authority primarily to restrict the take of listed species. Under the new rule, however, the Service is using its Section 4(d) authority to provide states with additional management tools and flexibility to address the challenges associated with long-recovered and expanding grizzly bear populations.

Grizzly bears represent one of the greatest wildlife recovery success stories in North America. Read more

14 projects funded at nearly $200,000

Conservation groups, K-12 students and landowners across the Upper Peninsula will improve hundreds of acres of white-tailed deer habitat this year after receiving state grants generated from deer hunting license revenue. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is funding 14 projects totaling nearly $200,000 in grants in 2026. That’s double the per-year amount of funding from past years through the Deer Habitat Improvement Partnership Initiative. Now in its 18th year, the U.P. initiative has awarded nearly $1.5 million across 176 grants, with partners contributing more than $1 million in matching funds or in-kind contributions. “The initiative has created a collaborative approach to improving deer habitat on private lands across the Upper Peninsula,” said Bill Scullon, grant program coordinator and field operations manager for the DNR. “As we know, deer know no boundaries. Creating suitable habitat across both public and private lands is crucial to helping deer survive the often-challenging U.P. winters.” Funding for the initiative comes from the Deer Range Improvement Program, or DRIP, a state appropriation created in 1971. Through DRIP, $1.50 from every deer hunting license goes toward improving deer habitat. Read more

Article and Photos by Paul Konrad

Recently fledged American Robins have dominated the feeding station during recent weeks, along with the adults that lead them to the grape jelly feeders (photos by Paul Konrad).

One of the most exciting things that can happen at a feeding station is for birds that visit your feeders during the nesting period to bring their fledglings to your feeders and surrounding tree branches. In addition to the chance to view the young birds at close quarters during this important developmental stage when they learn to fly and learn how to survive beyond the nest, it’s great to watch the interactions between fledglings and adults, and other birds. Most songbird fledglings rely on the adults to feed them and protect them, while the young birds watch and interact with adults and other birds at a feeding station, and beyond.

Best of all we can watch the fledglings quickly develop beyond the nest – not an easy thing to do beyond the “confines” of a feeding station with a window view. This is an especially bountiful year in the Northern Plains, and that may be the reason behind so many fledglings being produced in my neighborhood, and why my grape jelly feeders have been attracting a variety of fledglings. Family groups of American Robins and House Finches have now been joined by a Baltimore Oriole female feeding one or more of her recent fledglings that occasionally follow her to perch in branches in the ash tree adjacent to the feeding station. The male Baltimore was as active as the female in collecting jelly and insects attracted to the sweet food, but he suddenly disappeared after July 1^st, leaving the female to care for the fledgling (or fledglings) during the final step of the post-fledging period.

Recently, a male Orchard Oriole has substantially increased the number of its visits to collect jelly and bugs, which indicates it is feeding nestlings nearby – and hopefully they will follow him to the jelly feeders when they leave the nest too. [As I write this, the male Orchard arrives on que to load up on jelly.] A few Orchard Oriole broods have spent time utilizing my feeders in the past – usually numbering 2 or 3 per brood that resemble the adult female with new yellow plumage. This season, only the male has been a regular visitor – so far. Some years I have 2 or 3 pairs of orioles nesting in the area, but this year it has been just 1 pair of each species.

Realistically, it has been the American Robins and House Finches that have provided the biggest thrills and levels of activity this summer. Read more